Medical Students' Attitudes Toward the Patient-Doctor Relationship / 한국의학교육

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study investigated the attitudes of medical students toward physicians and the roles which the doctors and patients should play in the health care process. METHODS: Attitudes toward the patient-doctor relationship of 436 medical students of the K university in Seoul were measured using the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale(PPOS), a validated instruments designed to measure individual preferences toward various aspects of the patient-doctor relationship. The PPOS was composed of Sharing(sharing information, take part in decision making) and Caring(respect one's feelings, interpersonal relationship) subscale. Total PPOS scores can range from patient-centered(egalitarian, whole person oriented) to disease- or doctor-centered(paternalistic, less attuned to psychosocial issues). Socio-demographic data including gender, age, school year, marital status, undergraduate major, student's and her/his family medical background and specialty choice were collected and it was investigated the possible impact of socio-demographic factors on students' attitudes. RESULTS: The PPOS score was 3.82. The Sharing and Caring scores were 3.74 and 3.90, respectively. Female gender and students of graduate entry program were significantly associated with patient-centered attitudes. Age, school year, marital status, academic background, student's and her/his family medical background, and specialty choice did not show significant associations with PPOS scores. CONCLUSION: Female and graduate students showed more patient-centered attitudes than male and undergraduate students, respectively. Given the emphasis placed on patient-centered care in the current medical environment, our results suggest further research to explore the dynamics in medical education that may foster or inhibit student attitudes toward patient-centered care.